There are lots of different types of coverings available; however, choosing the right one for your application and structure type is something you should learn more about to make an informed purchase. Here’s a quick checklist of some of the basic questions you will want to address first: Continue Reading →

While seeds ripen on the plant they prepare to fall off and dry out a little during the dormant period. This will slow down their internal processes, and by convert food reserves from sugars to more stable fats and starches. Wait until your fruits are ripe before harvesting your seeds so they will be prepared for drying and dormancy. Some seeds even germinate better after drying versus going in the ground “fresh.” Continue Reading →

In most instances, harvests taste best fresh; straight off the vine when it comes to fruits, flowers, herbs and leafy greens. Just one of the great reasons to grow your own year round!
However, in some types of plants—and even with some variance from strain to strain, the best qualities come out overtime with storage. Continue Reading →

Drip systems are one of the biggest time savers in any garden. They are also easy to design and install and are relatively inexpensive. Once set up, plants are fed regularly and precisely on the schedule you choose. In my own gardens I have found that not only do drip systems save me a whole lot of time but they have also saved my garden from sure death when life gets busy and I don’t have time to spend with … Continue Reading →

Growing outdoors successfully hinges on how happy your plants are. Giving them a good start from day one makes a big difference, as well as the timing of when you decide to put your plants outside. But when is too early to plant your garden? This depends greatly on your geographic location and sun exposure of your garden location. The general consensus in planting zones north of Central California is to put your plants outside around memorial day weekend or … Continue Reading →

Benjamin Franklin said “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” and he may have been referring to plant health and disease prevention. Rather than discussing the vast array of grey black fuzzy brown wilting diseases lets focus on prevention. It’s far easier. Light, air, and water are the most important factors to plant health. A healthy plant in prime conditions will be far less likely to fall victim to disease. Plant health depends on good light and … Continue Reading →

Watering potted plants during the summer months can definitely be tricky. In high light and high temperature situations, with transpiration, evaporation, and water utilized during the photosynthetic processes taken into consideration, most plants need a healthy dose of fresh water daily. Although the leading cause of death among potted plants is under watering, symptoms of over watering can be similar and hard to distinguish as times. In both instances, leaves curl, can yellow, and drop from the plant. Usually an … Continue Reading →